Will Pay Overtime to Sunitha & Wilmore from My Pocket, says Trump

Days after NASA astronauts Sunitha Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, who had been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS), were safely brought back to Earth on SpaceX’s Dragon, US President Donald Trump declared that he would personally pay the duo’s overtime, if need be.

Williams and Wilmore had been part of an eight-day commercial space mission to the ISS. However, they were stranded in space for nearly nine months due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.

During a media interaction, a journalist brought Trump’s attention to reports suggesting that the astronauts were not being compensated with extra pay. The journalist asked if this was true, also noting that NASA covers only the astronauts' transportation, stay, meals, and a daily allowance of $5. According to calculations, this would amount to an extra $1,430 (Rs 1,22,980) each for Williams and Wilmore over 286 days.

Trump acknowledged that the amount was insufficient to compensate for "everything the two astronauts had gone through during their extended stay in space" and stated that he would personally cover the costs if necessary.

As NASA astronauts are federal government employees, they receive salaries ranging from $94,998 (Rs 81,69,861) to $123,152 (Rs 1,05,91,115). Their space missions are considered business trips, meaning they are compensated for transportation, lodging, and food but not for overtime.

Additionally, Trump thanked SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk for his successful efforts to bring the astronauts back to Earth. Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla and a senior advisor to the US President, is a key member of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Warning of strict action against those who sabotage Tesla vehicles, the US President stated that offenders could face up to 20 years in prison.

REPORTER: The two astronauts that you just helped save from space, they didn't get any overtime pay...@POTUS: "If I have to, I'll pay it out of my own pocket... and I want to thank @elonmusk by the way because think if we don't have him." pic.twitter.com/b86RanXggp

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 21, 2025